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Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022, takes a sledgehammer to key parts of the Ontario Heritage Act and Ontario’s cultural heritage protection system.¹

One of the more insidious proposals — not getting nearly enough attention in the slew of outrageous changes — takes aim at how we define cultural heritage itself.

It’s almost Orwellian.

Juggling Heritage and Accessibility

As part of a farewell tribute to the Conservation Review Board — now swallowed whole by the Ontario Land Tribunal — we’re digging into some of the Review Board’s recent decisions in so-called legacy cases. (Note that most if not all of these have been authored by a single CRB, now OLT, member, Daniel Nelson.)¹

attribute ~

something attributed as belonging to a person, thing, group, etc.; a quality, character, characteristic, or property

element ~

The clock has run down on Ontario’s Conservation Review Board, a fixture for 46 years of our heritage protection regime. Along with the Ontario Heritage Trust, the CRB was one of our two cultural heritage-focused provincial agencies. 

We should be sorry to see it go.

Happy Heritage Week!

In 2019 the province passed Bill 108 (the More Homes, More Choices Act), a developer-friendly grab-bag of changes including amendments to the Ontario Heritage Act.¹

We are coming late to grasping the grave threat that climate change poses to our economy, our society and our safety.

What Ever Happened to Building Stories?

Editor’s note: I am happy to welcome another special guest (who also happens to be my friend and near-neighbour) to OHA+M.  

The long-delayed changes to the Ontario Heritage Act will — finally — take effect on July 1.